This application claims the priority of DE 103 56 454.3, filed Dec. 3, 2003, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to an expandable container, e.g., according to ISO standards, in particular as a working space, also known as shelters in English-speaking countries.
For example, an expandable container is described in German Utility Model 92 16 314.9 and includes a basic container with hinged side panels and one or more expansion elements that can be telescoped out of the basic container. An expansion element includes two side panels and a front panel. In the condition with the expansion element telescoped out, two side panels swung out on the basic container form the roof panel and the bottom panel of an expansion element. One disadvantage of this embodiment is the great sealing lengths required to seal the container along the roof panel and the bottom panel. This is a problem in particular with regard to the requirement for ABC tightness.
Another expandable container is known from EP 0 682 156 B1. This includes a basic container and one or more expansion element, which can be telescoped out of the basic container to expand the interior. The expansion elements are box-shaped and except for the side open toward the basic container are closed on all sides. To achieve a flat bottom inside the entire container, a hoisting device is provided to lower the expansion elements to such an extent that after being lowered, the bottom panels of the basic container and of the expansion element are at the same level. In the embodiment having two expansion elements, the dimensions of the two expansion elements must be selected so that the one expansion element can be retracted into the other expansion element.
DE 101 35 226 A1 describes a generic expandable container having a hoisting device to achieve a flat bottom. The expansion elements can be lowered with this hoisting device, so that after being lowered, the bottom panels of the basic container and the expansion element are at the same level. The expansion elements are open at the top. The basic container has a side panel that is hinged about a horizontal axis and forms the roof panel of an expansion element when said expansion element is telescoped out. An improved standing height in an expansion element can be achieved with this construction.